The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-05-26

That handsome, graceless vagabond nau
struck the outskirts of Red Dog in a cyclone
of dissipation, which left him stranded but
still rather interesting wreck III ruinons
cabin not far from Peg Moffat's virgin
bower Pale, crippled from excesses, with a
voice quite tremulous from sympathetic
emotion, more OF less developed by stimu-
iants, he fingered languidly, with much time
on his hands and only few neighbors. In
this fascinating kind of general deshabille of
morals, dress and the emotions he ap-
peared before Peg Moffat More than
that, he occasionally limped with
her through the settlement. The
critical eye of Red Dog took III the singular
pair-Jack, voluble, suffering, apparently
overcome by remorse, conscience, vitupera-
ton and disease; and Peg, open mouthed, high
colored. awkward, yet delighted; and the
critical eye of Red Dog, seeing this, winked
meaningly at Rockville. No one knew what
passed between them, but all observed that
one summer day Jack drove down the main
street f Red Dog in an open buggy, with the
heiress of that town beside him, Jack, albeit
trifle shaky, held the reins with something
of his old dash; and Mistress Peggy. in an
enormous bonnet, with pearl colored ribbons
shade darker than her hair, holding in her
short, pink -gloved fingers q bouquet OF yellow
roses, absolutely glowed crimson in distressful
qualification over the dashboard. So these
two Jared on, out of the busy settlement into
the woods, against the rosy sunset. Possibly
it was not a pretty picture; nevertheless, as
the dim aisles of the solemn pines opened to
receive them. miners leaned upon their spades
and mechanics stopped i'll their toll TO look
after them. The critical eye of Red Dog,
perhaps from the sun, perhaps from the fact
that it had itself once been young and dissi-
pated, took ON kindly moisture as it gazed.
The moon was high when they returned.
Those who had waited to congratulate Jack
on this near prospect of favorable change in
his fortunes were chagrined to find that, hav-
ing seen the lady safe nome, he had himself
departed from Red Dog. Nothing was 10 be
| CLEANED from Peg, who, on the next day and
ensuing days, kept the even tenor of her way,
sunk thousand or two more in unsuccessful
speculation, and maze no change i'll her habits
| VI DtISOldl hoOfS PoSoSu N1ChOoo
any apparent sequel to this romantic ldyl
Nothing was known definitely until Jack, a
month later, turned up in Sacramento, with
a billiard cue in his hand, and heart over
charged with indignant emotion. Il don't
mind saying to yor, gentlemen, in conf
dence," said Jack to a circle OF sympathizing
players-''I don't mind telling you regarding
fLafT coft on that fTppk1a6
faced, red eyed tallow haired gal as if she'd
been=-a=-a-~an actress. And l don't mind
saying, gentiemen, that, as far as under
stand women, she was jue. as soft ON me.
You kin laugh; but it's SO. One day I took
her out buggy riding-in style, too-and out
on the road 1 offered to do the square thing,
| Just as if she'd been a lady-otfered to marry
| her then and there And what did she doc" said
| Jack, with hysterical laugh "Why, blank
| it ALI offered n4e S25 week allowance-pay
to be stopped when 1 wasa't at homel" The
roar of laughter that greeted this frank con-
fession was broken by a quiet voice asking,
gApd what did you sayF"-"Say" screamed
Jack, q just told her to go to - with her
money "-"They say" continued the quiet
|
/ $3.50 to get you to Sacramento-and that you
got it"-AWho says so?" roared Jack. "Show
me the blank liar" There was dead silence.
| Then the possessor of the quiet voice, Mr..
| Jack Hamlin, languidly reached under the
table, took the chalk, and, rubbing the END
of his billiard cue, began with gentle gravity
at was an old friend of mine in Sacramento
man with wooden leg, game eye, three
fingers on his right hand and consumptive
cough. Being unable, naturally, to bach
himself, he leaves things to me. So, for the
sake of argument" continued Hamlin, sud
denly laying down his cue and fixing hi
wicked black eyes on the speaker, "say it.
mel"
1 am afraid that this story, whether truth
full or not did not tend to increase Pegs pop